


Buried Alive

by AngieInStL



Category: Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-20
Updated: 2011-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-27 15:15:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/297218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngieInStL/pseuds/AngieInStL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JD is trapped when his car is swept away by a mudslide.  Will the team find him in time?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Buried Alive

Buried Alive

 

Several days of torrential rain had left the Denver area with flood warnings. Rivers and streams were swollen with the runoff and several lakes were up into the camping areas. Fortunately, the dreary weather seemed to be keeping the bad guys at home because there wasn’t anything happening. Team seven was on stand down after a grueling month of gang violence. They had been burning the midnight oil intercepting shipments of weapons in an effort to stave off and all-out war between the various factions. With a lot of help from the FBI’s gang-interaction unit, they had finally managed to broker a truce of sorts. Travis gave them several days off to compensate them for all of the overtime they had been putting in.

“It’s going to be too wet to ride this weekend but we can still get together at the ranch Monday and watch the game,” Chris suggested. The Rockies were playing against St. Louis and it was an away game so it would be on television.

“What time is the game?” JD asked.

“It’s a three-fifteen start,” Vin replied.

“Then I’m going to spend Sunday with Veronica. She’s got this cool game for her WII and we’re playing against other people on line,” Dunne announced.

“He’s dating a gorgeous college student and they play video games together,” Buck complained.

“It’s a real workout,” JD said defensively.

“Ri-i-ight,” Buck replied.

“It is,” Vin interrupted, “I’ve played with some of the kids in the neighborhood. But the target shooting game is kind of lame.”

The office erupted into a loud and raucous discussion of video games. Josiah was quick to defend Atari as his favorite game system, much to the amusement of the rest of the team. Nathan admitted to having been pretty good at Pac Man when he worked at the laundromat as a college student. Chris came back from the break room and was immediately dragged into the argument. He held out his hands in a warding off motion and refused to get involved.

“I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m going home,” Larabee announced. Six other pairs of eyes went to various timepieces and there was a scramble as computers were shut down for the weekend. There was still a lot of good-natured teasing as the seven men crowded into an elevator.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Vin told Chris as he slid into his Jeep. They had plans to drive up to Greeley to look at a stallion Larabee was considering buying.

“I’ll throw breakfast together,” Chris offered, earning him an eager grin.

***

Ezra had plans for the weekend. He was going to spend two glorious nights at a spa where he would be pampered to his heart’s content. He was meeting with a lady friend, too, a lady friend that his teammates didn’t know about and would tease him mercilessly over if they discovered her identity. He had no intention of letting his personal life become fodder for the office gossip mill.

***

Nathan also had a romantic encounter planned. Rain had gotten the weekend off and they were going to a cabin that he had reserved for them. It was too early for most people to camp so they would have the place all to themselves. They were leaving early the next morning.

***

Josiah didn’t have any plans beyond spending the day at the mission where he volunteered on the weekends. The priest had convinced a number of young people to join a chess team and spent a part of every Saturday teaching them how to improve their game. Josiah was a favorite with the beginners because he would sometimes let them win.

***

Buck and JD had plans for Saturday also. They were going to do a tune up on both of their vehicles in the morning and they were going grocery shopping and to do the laundry in the afternoon. Buck insisted that the afternoon was the best time to pick up women at the laundromat. He also had a hot date for Friday evening and was in a hurry to get home and get cleaned up.

***

Saturday came and went just as they had planned. Nathan and Rain drove to the cabin and spent the day cuddled together in front of the fire place listening to the rain on the roof. Ezra slept in and ordered room service around midmorning before meeting up with his lady friend and going for a full-body massage. Josiah was challenged by one of the better chess players and was soundly beaten. JD and Buck changed the spark plugs and oil in their vehicles and ran their errands. Buck flirted with a lady at the laundromat until her boyfriend arrived, her big, muscular, firefighter boyfriend. JD got a good laugh out of it. Chris and Vin had breakfast together, then drove up to look at the stallion. It was too wet to bring him outside so they made plans to come back when the weather improved but it looked promising.

***

Sunday morning, JD loaded his cereal bowl and cup into the dishwasher and left the apartment for his date with Veronica. She wanted him to get there early so they could warm up before the tournament. They were playing against a couple who lived in Vermont.

It was still raining when JD pulled out of the garage. He was so tired of the overcast, dreary sky that he couldn’t wait for summer. There were huge puddles of water where the sewers were stopped up by debris and he slowed down so as not to splash the water on the people scurrying along the sidewalk. Turning on his blinker, he made a right and headed for the highway.

***

Rolling out of bed, Buck headed for the shower. He was going to lunch with Mindy, then she was taking him to some antique store and then to an early evening movie. Glancing into the room before stepping into the bathroom, he noticed that JD was already up and gone. He was whistling along with the radio as he checked his appearance in the mirror on his way out less than an hour later. He was several yards down the hall when the phone in the living room started to ring.

***

A warm hand ran up his bare back and Nathan sighed, rolling over to pull Rain into his arms. Her skin was like warm silk against his and he nuzzled into her shoulder. It was still raining outside; he could hear the rumbling thunder echoing through the isolated valley.

***

Vin and Chris made quick work of mucking out the stalls and feeding the horses that morning. When they got back inside, Chris offered to make blueberry waffles for them for breakfast. Vin’s stomach growled at the very thought and Larabee shook his head at the younger man. After breakfast, they went out to the grocery store for snacks for the guys that evening. The steady downpour was leaving small, shallow lakes on the fields and washing away good topsoil from the recently-tilled hillsides.

***

Arriving at the church, Josiah dipped his fingers in the font and genuflected before entering the sanctuary. The comforting scent of burning candles wafted down the aisle. Father Paterson approached him to bid him welcome and tease him about his loss at chess the day before.

***

JD slowed down in the construction zone. It seemed like the state had been working on that particular stretch forever. A new overpass was being built to cut down on accidents on the winding, hilly blacktop. He noticed that his was the only car on the road but he dismissed it as being because of the weather.

The rain was coming down so hard that, even on the highest setting, he only got a glimpse of the road with each pass. A long, rolling bout of thunder sounded and JD ducked. He felt the vibration of it for several seconds. Suddenly, something impacted with the passenger side of the car. JD tried to brake but the car was swept across the blacktop like a child’s toy. When it impacted with the brand new guard rail, JD was relieved. He watched in horror as a mountain of mud, grass and rocks rolled over the hood. Seconds later, he felt something strange on the floorboard. There wasn’t even time to cry out when the car rose on the muddy wave and slowly rolled over the guard rail. JD braced his hands, one on the wheel and the other on the roof of the car. He felt the metal beneath his hand rippling as the car slid down the steep embankment. There were a couple of jolts before the car came to a stop. JD opened his eyes to nearly total darkness. Only the lights from the dash illuminated the interior of the car. He heard the dull rumbling of tons of mud and debris rushing over him and he knew he was in serious trouble.

***

Veronica heard the answering machine pick up and sighed. She was going to tell JD that the road into her subdivision was flooded and that he should take the long way around. She hung up the phone without leaving a message and looked out the window at the steady downpour. There were several large trees that had been uprooted and she could see people in bright yellow and orange rain slickers trying to clear them from the street and blocked driveways. She was just thankful that most of their power lines were buried because the news was reporting outages due to downed power lines all over Denver and the nearby communities.

***

As soon as the car settled, JD carefully released his seatbelt and tumbled down to the roof. His wrist was a little sore, he suspected from the way he had been bracing himself, but otherwise he felt alright. Scooting away from the steering wheel, he leaned back against the opposite side of the car and took stock of the situation. None of the windows had broken, thankfully, so he wasn’t in danger from the mud … yet. The engine had died within seconds of the car rolling over but the dash lights were still on for the moment. The bag containing the snacks he’d gotten had spilled, his hand crushing the bag of potato chips when he shifted his position. JD heard something moaning and then the popping sound of the quarter panels collapsing under the weight of the mud.

“Okay, JD, think. You’re stuck in here unless someone comes along and sees the car,” he reasoned aloud. “But there wasn’t a lot of traffic today. My phone! God I hope I have a signal up here.” He pulled the cell from his belt and flipped it open, groaning softly at the ‘No Signal’ that lit up the screen. “Okay, just have to stay calm. They’ll find me,” he assured himself. ‘I hope,’ a small inner voice added.

***

Buck’s fingers were entwined with his date’s long, curly hair and his thumb brushed against the bare skin of her shoulder while they watched the movie. She had been feeding him popcorn while snuggled under his arm. It was cool in the theater, encouraging the couple to get as close as possible. Although he couldn’t tell you what the movie was about, Buck could definitely tell that Kelly was interested in more than what was on the screen. She had been teasing him since the house lights went out. Her warm breath caressed his ear before her talented lips caught the lobe. Shuddering under the gentle suction, he slouched down in the seat and ran his free hand up her thigh. She had draped her leg over his after shrugging out of her jacket and spreading it out across their laps.

***

Alone in the overturned car, JD began to panic. Strange rumblings and groaning made him fear that his little bubble of safety was about to be compromised. His fears were confirmed when a steady trickle of muddy water began to come from the vents. Desperate for something to distract him, he turned on the radio to see if there was any news about the landslide. He changed the station to one that was all news. Several minutes later, when the news loop began again, he slammed his palm against the back of the driver’s seat in frustration. To preserve the battery, he turned the radio off. Once again faced with the oppressive silence, he began to talk to himself.

***

Ezra smiled, then groaned as the masseuse dug into the tense muscles of his calves. The tension-releasing massage was the last treatment scheduled before he and Sharon checked out. Turning his head on the decadently soft pillow, he smiled at the relaxed expression on his companion’s face. The particular spa they were visiting had been her idea, her favorite way of decompressing when the stresses of her work got to her. They had spent the entire day together, eating, socializing with other patrons, getting treatments. Ezra almost regretted that their time was nearly over.

***

Chris and Vin turned their attention to the radio announcement of the landslide in the mountains west of the ranch. They were working on Larabee’s riding lawnmower, which had developed the habit of dying when the engine got hot.

“The corps of engineers tried to tell them not to start building up that hill until the spring rains passed,” Chris complained.

“You can’t tell bureaucrats anything,” Vin replied. “I think I found your problem. The condenser coil is burned out,” he continued, shining the flashlight beam in to show Chris the melted plastic.

***

JD’s foot bounced nervously as he checked his watch again. He had been trapped in the car for a little over four hours. The car continued to make strange noises as the weight of the mud and rocks continued to compress the crush zones in the quarter panels. He thought he smelled gas earlier, but he couldn’t smell it anymore. He heard another noise and groped along the dash for the dome light. When it came on, he saw that the windshield had cracked when the car rolled over and the mud was causing it to spread. Turning off the dome light, he quickly scurried into the back of the car, as far away from the windshield as possible.

***

Rain sighed as she and Nathan carried their bags to the car. It had been a wonderful weekend for the two of them. She had the opportunity to reconnect with her husband without any distractions. With any luck, they would have something to remind them of their time spent together … in about nine months.

“Are you ready to go?” Nathan asked.

“If I say no can we stay another week?” she countered.

Wrapping his arms around the love of his life, he pulled her in close and inhaled deeply. The air smelled of the rain and his wife like the scented soap they had used in the shower that morning. His hands slid down her back to cup her buttocks.

“I wish we could but we both have jobs.” He continued to hold her in his arms until he knew they would end up back in bed if he didn’t let go. “Let’s stop at that little greasy spoon we passed on the way up,” he suggested.

***

The glass continued to crackle and mud began to seep into the compartment. JD grabbed an old sweatshirt that had been in the back seat and stuffed it into the space where the mud was coming in. He kept checking his phone, hoping against hope that he would have a signal.

***

After leaving the church, Josiah returned to his home. He was refurbishing one of the bedrooms and the rainy day was perfect incentive to get started on the woodwork. Changing into his coverall, he grabbed the dust mask and the belt sander. Twenty minutes later, the air was filled with particles of the paint he was sanding off of the baseboards. When he got to raw wood, he would stain and seal the boards before putting them back up. Ever since he’d bought the house he had been working to restore all of the woodwork to its natural state.

***

JD had been turning the radio on at the top of the hour to listen for any news of the landslide. He strained his ears to hear whether or not there was anyone out there, yelling whenever he thought he heard someone. So far, all he’d gotten for his work was a sore throat. He stopped the mud from flowing through the vents by switching to the internal circulation for the a/c. There was water dripping in around the small wing window that had been replaced when the car was broken into several months ago but it was just a trickle. His watch chimed the hour and he reached out to turn on the radio. The announcer’s voice was bland, as if he was reading a grocery list instead of breaking news.

“The landslide has completely covered the new stretch of blacktop the corps of engineers has been working on since late summer. The only statement they have released so far is that it will be months before the area is stable enough to begin rebuilding the overpass. You may recall, the former intersection was the site of an accident where a young mother and her four children were killed when she pulled into the path of an on-coming tractor trailer. Fortunately, the road was closed and no one was injured when the slide occurred.”

Letting his hand fall away from the dial, JD glanced around the interior of the car and started to shake. He pulled his jacket closer around his torso and drew his knees to his chest. Letting his forehead come to rest on his knees, he fought to stay calm. His teammates would find him, he had to believe that.

***

Buck tossed his keys on the counter and looked around the apartment. He had figured that JD would already be there. The afternoon with Kelly had been pleasant and he had arranged to see her again next weekend. Deciding to take advantage of having the place to himself, he jogged up to his room and grabbed a change of clothes in preparation of taking a shower. He turned on the stereo, raising the volume as high as he dared to so he could hear it in the bathroom over the sound of the water. Moments later, he was lathering his chest and bellowing out Elvis tunes. The phone rang and a worried voice left a message.

***

Veronica had spent the day pacing in the living room, waiting for JD to arrive. She had been on-line, hoping to see him there, thinking that perhaps his apartment phone was out of service or something. She also wondered if the power was out to the building and if that was why she couldn’t reach him. She cursed at having washed the business card he’d given her, the one with his cell phone number on it. When she heard about the mudslide, she assured herself that JD couldn’t have been there because the road was posted as closed during the construction and the detour was marked with a series of orange signs. Finally, as day faded into evening, she rang the apartment again.

“JD? It’s Ronnie. I’ve been trying to reach you all day. Please call me when you get this,” she said before disconnecting the call.

***

JD shivered. His butt was wet, as were the cuffs of his pants legs. His hands were shaking so hard that he had difficulty pressing the button to light the dial of his watch. He would turn the radio on in another ten minutes or so. It had been almost eight hours since he turned onto the closed highway. He was so drowsy, he was having a hard time concentrating.

***

When Buck came out of the shower, he noticed that the numbers on the VCR were flashing, as were the numbers on the clock and microwave. He figured that the power had gone out at some point and went to check the answering machine. There were three messages and he pressed the button. The first was from Chris, asking if they were alright because the news said there were power outages in their area. The second was a telemarketer. The third message started and by the time it was finished, sweat was breaking out among the water droplets on Buck’s skin.

After hurriedly drying his body and getting dressed, Buck called the ranch. “Chris, have you seen or heard from JD today?” he asked breathlessly.

“No, why?”

“His friend called, he never showed up at her place,” Buck explained.

“Maybe he’s broken down somewhere, have you tried his cell?” Chris asked.

Buck thumped himself on the forehead before grabbing his cell phone and hitting the speed dial for JD’s number. The phone rang several times, then went to voicemail.

“I can’t get him,” Buck said.

“Does he know where JD’s friend lives?” Vin asked after Chris explained what Buck had said.

“No, but her number is on the caller ID. Let me call her,” Buck replied, fumbling the cell phone and jabbing the button on the caller ID until the name Veronica Parsons appeared. He hurriedly dialed the number and waited as it rang.

“I’ll call the cell provider and see if they can locate his phone. Vin’s calling Josiah and the others to see if they’ve heard from him,” Chris said.

“Hello?” a woman’s voice said and Buck shifted the cell phone away from his ear.

“May I speak to Veronica?” he asked. Once he discovered that she had answered the phone, he asked if she had seen or heard from JD at all that day. She said that she hadn’t and was very worried. Buck asked for her address, telling her that it was possible that he’d broken down somewhere along the drive and maybe didn’t have a cell signal. She gave him the address and hesitantly asked if Buck thought JD would drive on a closed road.

“Why do you ask?” he inquired hesitantly.

“Because there was a mudslide on the road that leads to our subdivision,” she replied.

“Oh hell,” Buck muttered softly. He ended the call after assuring Veronica that he would call her back when they found JD. He picked up the cell phone and told Chris the address.

“Buck, you wait for us to get there!” Larabee ordered.

“Chris, if he was caught in that slide …” Buck protested.

“Wait for us to get there!” Chris repeated. He nodded as he heard Vin telling Josiah to hurry over to Buck and JD’s place and to keep Buck there.

Less than forty-five minutes later, the rest of the team was racing away from the apartment parking lot. Nathan had his emergency bag, although he hoped he wouldn’t have to use it. Chris was still waiting for a call from the cell provider about the location of JD’s phone.

***

JD’s head rolled from the balanced position it had been in and he startled awake. Uncoiling from the nearly fetal position he’d been in, he looked around. The puddle near the wing window was larger and there was water running down the inside of the front floorboard. The panel lights were dim and he wondered how long it would be before they went out entirely. He fumbled with the box of Twinkies he’d gotten for Veronica and ate one, washing it down with a tepid Yoo Hoo. He stared upwards at the floorboard and wondered just how deeply the car was buried. It was possible that the mud only covered the windows and that the underside of the car wasn’t covered. But he had no way of knowing. He opened his cell phone and glared at the ‘No Signal’ screen. He debated turning it off but hesitated. Ezra had told him that he should always keep his phone on because of the GPS chip embedded in its circuitry. Even if he couldn’t make or receive a call, the cell provider could still use a satellite to get a fix on his location. He folded the phone closed and tucked it back into his coat pocket. Having nothing else to do, he moved toward the back of the car and leaned against the seat. He stuck his hand into his pocket and gripped the phone, silently begging Buck and the others to find him before it was too late. He belatedly wondered how long he could survive where he was. He had plenty of munchies and drinks so he wasn’t in any danger of starving. If the car was completely submerged, however, then he had only a limited amount of air.

***

There was a state trooper parked blocking access to the blacktop road that the mudslide had closed. He was there to keep out the sightseers and the media. Chris, Vin and Buck got out of the truck and walked over, pulling their badges and IDs out to show. Nathan, Josiah and Ezra went on along the detour, looking for JD’s car along the shoulder. Josiah had his police radio tuned to the same channel as Chris so they could communicate with each other.

“What can I do for you gentlemen?” the trooper asked after glancing at their ID.

“We need to know if there’s any possibility of a car being up there near the mudslide,” Chris explained.

“That would be unlikely. This road was closed to traffic because the pass up ahead is closed. The rain caused some big trees to fall across the road. Why do you ask?”

“One of my men was headed out to visit a friend who lives in the subdivision back there and he’s missing,” Larabee explained.

“I don’t hardly think he’s up there unless he’s between the slide and the trees,” the patrolman said. “The road’s been closed since last night.”

Vin turned around, slowly studying the area. “How would he have known the road was closed?” he asked. “There aren’t any signs or anything.”

The trooper looked around in surprise, realizing that the man with the long hair was right. “Well, there were signs up here,” he said.

Chris felt his cell phone vibrate and pulled it from the clip on his belt. It was from the cell provider. He opened the attachment and studied the map they had sent. Turning the phone toward the trooper, he asked, “Is this that road?” The trooper studied the picture for a moment before swallowing and nodding. “Get on your radio and call for a rescue unit. We’re going up to the slide site. See if they have a chopper with a thermal imaging scanner,” Chris said as he raced back to the truck. Buck was already in the passenger seat, using the radio to tell the others that JD was in the slide area.

The big, black Dodge skidded to a stop on the wet blacktop and three doors flew open. Buck made it as far as the hood before he stopped, staring in horror at the volume of mud and rocks that were heaped across the road. His heart was in his throat as he walked over to the guard rail where Vin had squatted down.

“There!” Chris shouted, pointing to where a few inches of a tire stuck out from the mud. “Oh, no you don’t,” he said, catching hold of Buck as he was ready to leap over the rail.

“But that’s got to be JD’s car!” Buck protested, angrily shoving Chris’ hands off and moving toward the rail again.

“And you’re going to wait until we get some help. I don’t need you down there getting hurt,” Chris explained.

“But Chris!” Buck started, pausing as Josiah’s suburban slid to a stop next to the Dodge.

“The trooper said to tell you that Search and Rescue will be here in 35 minutes with the chopper and the corps of engineers is sending in the heavy earth moving equipment, they’ll be here in an hour,” Josiah announced. “Do you see the car?”

“It’s right there,” Ezra said as he stared down the incline.

An hour later, a big Caterpillar bulldozer crept along the bottom of the ravine. The thermal imaging scan had shown one survivor under the mud. The rescue plan was simple, they were going to try to attach a chain to the undercarriage of the car and pull it out. There was an ambulance and a fire truck on standby in case something unusual happened. The men of Team 7 stood in a cluster near the guardrail, staring down at the scene, which was lit up with floodlights running on gas-powered generators. They were unused to being helpless on-lookers. Buck, who had finally been made to sit on one of the camp stools that Chris had in the truck, tensed up and leaned forward when the man with the chain began to crawl out on the boards they had placed on top of the mud.

***

The car battery finally died, plunging JD into total darkness. For a moment, he panicked, rising up on his knees and pounding on the floorboard over his head. He grabbed hold of the back seat and pulled, ripping the seat from its moorings. The seat struck his leg as it fell and the pain brought him back from the brink of hysteria. He shifted around, turning the seat over so that he could lay on it. The water leaking into the compartment had the entire headliner wet and he was getting really cold. Pulling his legs up on the seat, he curled up again, jamming his hand into his pocket to grip the cell phone.

***

Jim Fairchild crawled gingerly along the boards until he reached the car. He reached back for the shovel strapped across his shoulders and began scooping the mud away from the undercarriage. He wanted to wrap the chain around a solid piece of metal instead of the struts that stabilized the tires; he knew those bars would break away under pressure. For every two shovels of mud he tossed away, one more flowed into the hole. The men up on the roadway had said that the car was a Mustang so he knew that he needed to get to the transfer case if they were going to be able to pull the car out.

“How long is it going to take?” Buck murmured aloud. “Put the chain on it already!”

“They have to get a solid hold or they won’t be able to pull it out,” Chris explained. He squeezed the taut muscles beneath his hands. He had been keeping his hands on Buck since the rescue started. Ezra handed out several small Styrofoam cups of coffee. Several police cars had joined the crowd waiting for the car to be extracted. The Red Cross unit arrived and started handing out sandwiches.

Jim struck the transfer case with the shovel to clear the mud from the blade before laying it aside and using his hand to dig out a space for the chain. He leaned down into the hole, sticking both hands into the mud and feeding the chain through. He secured the chain, giving it a few hard yanks to make sure it was solid before sitting back on his heels. He motioned for the bulldozer to take up the slack before he began to back away.

“They’re getting ready!” Buck said, coming to his feet. They watched as the man in the yellow coveralls slid down off of the pile of mud and jogged back to the bulldozer. All of the members of Team 7 held their breath as the huge machine began to power up.

***

Inside of the car, JD’s body moved only slightly at the first gentle tug on the chain. His lips were dusky and his breathing shallow as the oxygen in the car was used up. An inch and a half of water sloshed around, soaking the Twinkie box. One of the wrapped confections floated around like a cellophane-clad submarine.

***

The noise of the bulldozer’s engine increased as the tracks dug into the wet ground. The chain was taut but the car had yet to move in any substantial way. The operator shifted gear to put more power behind the action. There was a small amount of movement but the mud refused to give up its prize and the man was forced to stop or risk snapping the chain.

“What are they doing? Why did they stop?” Buck asked, turning in bewilderment toward his friends. “They didn’t get the car out.”

Chris glanced at Vin and Ezra and both men silently acknowledged the order to gather information. Josiah and Nathan shifted positions, ready to physically restrain Buck if he tried to go over the guardrail.

“We are going to use the ‘dozer to push some of the mud out from behind the car,” the foreman explained. “There’s too much weight holding it in place.”

The men watched as the massive bulldozer rolled backwards several yards before stopping and advancing on the slide from uphill of its previous position. The blade dug into the mud, pushing it away from the main body of the slide and sending it on down into the ravine. This process was repeated several times, straining Team 7’s already overstressed nerves. Finally, as it was nearing an hour later, the bulldozer returned to the first position and the chain was attached again. Buck came to his feet as the engine noise increased. Even over the sound generated by the bulldozer, they could hear the loud sucking noise as the car was pulled out. Unfortunately, they also heard the explosive popping of the windows in the car breaking. The mud finally released its hold on the Mustang and the car slid out. A flurry of activity surrounded the vehicle as the rescue team leapt into action.

Buck started forward but Josiah and Nathan caught hold of him and held him back. Infuriated, Wilmington struggled, trying to get closer to his friend. Eventually, it took all four of them to keep Buck from going over the rail. Chris growled that he would have Buck handcuffed and placed in a squad car if he didn’t settle down.

The first paramedic on the scene dropped to his belly and wiggled through the broken window and began assessing the patient. He called out to his partner that he needed the portable oxygen tank and an intubation kit. Crawling fully into the car, he tried to open the door on that side. One of the firemen on the scene took a pry bar to the door and wrenched it open, shining his light into the compartment. As soon as the paramedic had the patient intubated, they slid a backboard under him and lifted him out of the car. Taking quick, careful steps, they carried the young man to the Stokes basket and strapped him in for the ride up the hill. The paramedic took a few minutes to check the patient’s vitals. His oxygen saturation wasn’t good because the mud had sealed the compartment and the young man had used up almost all of the oxygen inside. Otherwise, he seemed to be in good condition. He was hypothermic but not dangerously so. Adding a couple of chemical warming packs to the patient’s armpits and groin, the paramedic signaled that he was ready for transport.

Only when JD was almost to the railing did the others let go of Buck. They surged forward as one, eager to see how their young friend and coworker was after being trapped in the car all day. They let Buck go to the stretcher, knowing that he would want to ride along to the hospital. Nathan slipped up close enough to eavesdrop on the paramedics so he could report back to the others. Buck was distressed at the tube in JD’s throat but Nathan explained that it was just a precaution.

At the hospital, Buck was allowed to remain in the room with JD only because the nurses knew how he felt about the younger man. They removed JD’s muddy, wet clothes and wrapped him in a warming blanket. His left wrist was somewhat swollen but the X-ray showed that it was just sprained. Buck was relieved when JD’s lips returned to a more normal color, a sign that he had adequate oxygen in his system.

***

When the blessed warmth penetrated his body, JD began to wake up. Confused and disoriented, he panicked when he couldn’t find his cell phone. He groped all around his hand, growing more agitated every second. Alarms began sounding on the panels above his bed and Buck leapt up from the chair he had appropriated from another room.

***

“JD? Come on, kid, open your eyes for me,” Buck urged. He cupped JD’s cheek, holding his head still as he waited for the hazel eyes to open. He was so focused on his young friend’s face that he didn’t realize that JD had plucked his cell phone from his belt.

***

Finding the cell phone, JD relaxed and tried to go back to sleep but someone was talking to him. He was confused, the radio had died with the car battery. Another voice called his name, then another. He tried to ignore them, not wanting to open his eyes to the unrelieved darkness again.

***

They had all taken turns trying to rouse JD to no avail. Finally, Chris tapped Ezra on the shoulder and motioned for him to step out of the way. Clearing his throat, he leaned down closer to JD’s head and spoke.

“John Dunne, you better have that report on my desk in ten minutes or you’re fired!”

JD sprang up from the pillow so quickly that he knocked heads with Chris. He fell back, rubbing his aching head and muttering ‘ouch, ouch, ouch’ for a moment. When his blurry vision cleared, he was looking up at his teammates and it was a welcome sight. He handed something to Chris and turned to throw his arm over Buck’s shoulder, hugging the older man with all his strength.

Looking down at the cell phone in his hand, Chris turned a confused gaze on Vin, who was standing behind him. Vin raised his eyebrows and shook his head, indicating that he didn’t know where the phone came from either. Ezra reached past Vin to tap Chris on the shoulder and pointed to the empty clip on Buck’s belt.

Buck clung to JD, rubbing his back as his young friend shuddered. A nurse, alerted by the alarms on the machines monitoring JD, came to the door but Nathan warned her away. Only when JD was settled calmly against the pillow did Jackson allow the medical staff in to check on him.

They kept JD the rest of Monday and overnight for observation, discharging him on Tuesday morning to his anxious teammates. Travis gave them a few more days off, knowing that their stressful day and JD being on light duty would prevent them from performing any meaningful work. Chris picked them up from the hospital after driving by the apartment to get some clothes for JD, since his were removed in pieces while he was in the emergency room. JD had taken a hot shower at the hospital, which did wonders for his aching muscles.

“Hey, did you see that the Rockies/Cardinals game got rained out yesterday? Maybe we can watch it tonight,” JD suggested.

“That’s the plan,” Chris replied. “I’ve still got a truckload of snacks sitting on my kitchen counter for you, Buck and Vin.”

“Did you remember to get the Cheetos? And the spicy salsa dip? I hope you got some Yoo Hoo because that’s the best with Twinkies,” JD explained.

Chris felt his stomach roll at the thought of that combination of snacks. “I’m sure Vin got everything. You two must have cast iron stomachs to be able to eat all of that,” he said.

“We’ll have to pick up a bucket of wings, too, and the stuff to make seven-layer dip. Don’t let me forget to get the Fritos Scoops. And the jalapeños,” Buck added.

“It’s a good thing we’ve got tomorrow off, you’re all going to be sick,” Chris grumbled as he pulled into the grocery store parking lot. Buck and JD got out, still rattling off a list of things they needed to pick up. Chris pulled out his cell phone and dialed the ranch to let the others know where they were. Nathan asked him to pick up some broccoli and cauliflower and a container of veggie dip. Josiah shouted that they were out of crushed red peppers for his chili. Ezra’s voice suggested that he pick up some imported beer. “Does Vin want anything?” Chris asked in irritation. There was a silent pause before Nathan came back to the phone.

“He wants you to pick up some more Pop-Tarts, the s’mores kind.”

Mumbling to oneself in the aisles of the local food mart was certain to draw attention but the tall blond could have cared less. He quickly found Buck and JD, staring in disbelief at the half-full cart they were still adding to. He snapped off the list of requested items before heading to the liquor section. When he added the fifth of Jack Daniels to the cart, Buck and JD went strangely quiet for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.

***

The game was all Cardinals until after the seventh inning stretch. When the Rockies finally scored the go-ahead run, Chris winced at the volume of cheering in his living room. JD had taken a medication-induced nap that afternoon and was feeling much better. The coffee table and end tables were thoroughly littered with paper plates and napkins. JD and Vin had polished off the entire bag of Cheetos and the salsa dip. Vin and Buck had made a sizable dent in the seven-layer dip. Buck, Josiah and Ezra had almost finished off the small crock pot of chili and part of the bucket of wings. Chris had managed to get a handful of wings, a dip of the chili and a spoonful of the seven-layer dip and was rounding out his meal with the veggies Nathan had cleaned and cut up. Nathan had gotten a little of everything except the Cheetos and salsa and was mumbling about the indigestion that he was going to have later. Chris was trying to remember where he put the Tumms that he was already feeling the need for. All in all, it was a good day.

After the game, and the absolutely necessary cleanup, the guys began to discuss who was staying and who was driving home. Josiah, Nathan and Ezra made their way out to their cars, waving to the others as they stood on the porch. JD yawned and Buck threw an arm around his shoulders, pulling his young friend off balance.

“Come on, kid, you look like you’re ready for bed,” Buck said as he swung around, steering JD back into the house. Vin also yawned and stretched, leaning against the porch post until he could stand on his own. Chris gave him a shove into the house and turned off the outside lights as the last of the departing vehicles turned onto the blacktop.

***

JD stripped to his tee shirt and shorts before dropping heavily to the twin bed. Buck came out of the bathroom and flung the covers back on the other bed, stretching out on his stomach and plumping the pillow with a few hard pokes. When he reached up to turn out the light, JD gasped softly.

“Do you mind if we leave the light on for a while?” JD asked.

Seeing the fear in the wide hazel eyes, Buck lowered his arm to the mattress. He remembered how JD had panicked in the hospital room after the others left because Buck turned out the lights.

It would be nearly a week before JD could sleep in a darkened room and longer still before the nightmares stopped plaguing his sleep, waking him in a drenching sweat. Being buried alive will do that to a person.


End file.
